Job Description

Job purpose: To carry out legal and administrative work and provide an effective, high quality, professional service within Legal Services and the City Council generally.

The post will be based within the Property & Development Section, but the post holder may be required to work flexibly across other sections within Legal Services.

Responsibilities

• To undertake a personal workload of more straightforward non-contentious commercial property matters, residential property matters, planning and highways agreements, including, by way of example, but not limited to: leases, acquisitions and disposals, easements, s278 agreements, and Traffic Regulation Orders.
• To give written and oral advice as appropriate.
• To assist the Principal Legal Officers, Team Leaders and Section Head with all legal work carried out by the section.
• To draft, issue and serve (as appropriate) orders, agreements and other legal documentation.
• To undertake legal research.
• To deal with conveyancing and other transactions, deducing title, drafting documents, raising and/or dealing with enquiries, exchange and completion of transactions and post-completion requirements/
• To prepare cases for hearing in Courts and Tribunals, including drafting orders, case summaries, correspondence, taking statements, collating documents; to arrange for the attendance of witnesses at Court, and to prepare instructions for Counsel (as relevant to post)
• To attend at Court with Counsel (where relevant to the role).
• To represent the Council, where appropriate, in Courts and Tribunals (where relevant to the role).
• To inform instructing services of all outcomes, and prepare all necessary updates.
• To maintain and operate computerised systems.
• To deal with enquiries/correspondence from instructing services, external solicitors, members of the public, Council Departments and other agencies.
• To provide administrative support as required.
• To prepare and deliver training.
• To perform all functions and duties effectively and in accordance with the following:
  • The Department's Standards, Objectives, Targets and Timescales
  • The Department's Quality Procedures

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Member of CILEX (level 6), Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or a Degree in English Law

or

A non-legal degree level qualification or equivalent AND the applicant can demonstrate s/he has experience of working in a legal environment and dealing with legal work, 12 months experience in the past 5 years.

Essential requirements

It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• To prioritise and organise own workload.
• To work within time constraints and meet strict deadlines.
• To establish effective relationships with people at different levels inside and outside the Council, i.e. external Solicitors, members of the public, and other Council Departments.
• To grasp and assimilate new information quickly.
• To work with minimum supervision within a supportive environment.
• To draft legal documentation, agreements and advice.
• To prepare cases for Courts and Tribunals, including drafting and preparing clear, concise and accurate documents, letters, memoranda and Court documents (where applicable to the role).
• Ability to act as an advocate for the Council in appropriate cases at Court and Tribunals. (where applicable to the role)
• To express concepts and ideas clearly.
• To communicate effectively as a member of a team.
• Organising and prioritising own workload with minimum direction.
• Dealing with enquiries and/or correspondence from a wide range of people.
• Experience of using IT systems such as Windows, Word, Excel and Databases.
• Experience of legal research.
• Experience of assisting in non-contentious legal cases/ the preparation of cases for Court or Tribunals (as applicable to the role).
• Experience of working as a member of a team.

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambition s
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements

It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Experience of the preparation of court/tribunal documents (e.g. witness statements) or drafting of orders or legal agreements.
• Experience of giving legal advice in writing and orally.
• Experience of advocacy (if applicable to the role).